Synopsis On 12August 1996 at approximately 1230, the fishing vessel LUCI was laying lobster traps in Northumberland Strait when the deck-hand was dragged overboard by the lobster traps and associated gear, and drowned. Other Factual Information Particulars of the Vessel The LUCI is a Northumberland Strait-type fishing vessel designed to be operated from the port side. She has a pronounced bow flare and an afterdeck approximately 1.13m in length and approximately 83cm high. The vessel departed Bouctouche, N.B., at approximately 0430[1] on 12August 1996, with a crew of two, namely the owner/operator and one deck-hand. The purpose of the trip was to re-lay strings of metal lobster traps from which lobsters had been harvested earlier. The atmosphere on board was casual and comfortable with the owner/operator standing at the controls. The door to the port side of the wheel-house was open, and through the doorway, the owner/operator could see the deck-hand working on the well-deck, throwing lobster traps over the side. The traps which had been stowed on the port side of the well-deck had been laid, and the deck-hand was engaged in working with the traps on the starboard side when the accident occurred. Each wire lobster trap, which is approximately 1.2m long and weighted by approximately 25kg of stone ballast, is tethered to a common 16mm polypropylene line with approximately 18 to 20fathoms of line between each trap. Between the last trap of the string (trap No.8) and the marker buoy, there were approximately 23 to 25fathoms of similar line which was being deployed in a water depth of approximately 10fathoms. The vessel was in the process of laying a string of eight traps. Seven traps and the marker buoy, which was secured at the inboard end of the string, had been thrown into the water. The deck-hand picked up trap No.8, presumably in an effort to throw it over the side. The owner/operator heard the deck-hand call his name and saw the deck-hand, sitting on the afterdeck, facing forward, clutching the lobster trap to his chest. As the vessel moved forward, the deck-hand was dragged backward on the afterdeck by the stationary trap attached to the seven traps and the marker buoy already deployed. The owner/operator immediately put the engine astern. The owner/operator witnessed the deck-hand being dragged aft over the stern and into the water, but apart from taking the way off the vessel, he was unable to assist him. The deck-hand entered the water backward still holding the weighted lobster trap to his chest. At the time of laying these traps, the vessel was mainly drifting with the tide at a speed over the ground of approximately one knot, while the engine was idling. Although the owner/operator knew that the deck-hand was a non-swimmer, he fully expected him to resurface. There was little wind, calm seas and good visibility. The owner/operator, using channel 7 on the VHF radiotelephone, called for assistance from other nearby fishing vessels. He then used channel 16 to alert the Marine Communications and Traffic Centre (MCTC) at Charlottetown. The string of eight traps was retrieved from the water, but the body of the deck-hand did not come to the surface. At 1225, the Fisheries patrol vessel ARCADIE, which was in the area and had overheard the radio broadcast from the LUCI, reported a man overboard situation in position 4644.5'N, 06441.3'W, to the Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC) at Halifax. At 1235, a Labrador helicopter from 413 Squadron, Canadian Forces Base Summerside, was tasked and was airborne shortly afterward. A Canadian Forces Hercules aircraft which was already airborne at that time and approximately 15 miles away, was also tasked. Despite the efforts of the searchers from the air, and by other fishing vessels and Canadian Coast Guard vessels, the deck-hand was not found. At 1845, the aircraft search was discontinued, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) assumed responsibility for the search. The RCMP dive team, assisted by the owner/operator of the LUCI, located the body of the deck-hand the following day within approximately 15m of the position originally reported by the owner/operator of the LUCI. The deck-hand was wearing high-bib waterproof trousers and steel-toed rubber boots. Reportedly, he had been in good health, and as he had not been working the day before the occurrence, was well rested. He was neither wearing a flotation device nor was he attached to a lifeline. The coroner confirmed that the cause of death was by drowning. There was no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved. This was the deck-hand's second season working on the LUCI, but he had served the previous seven years on other vessels. The owner/operator had three years' experience being in charge of this and other similar vessels, and approximately a further 10 years' experience on lobster and other types of fishing vessels.